The Guardian view on the Green party and Palestine: rejecting two states is no shortcut to peace | Editorial

What Happened

The Green party of England and Wales adopted a set of policies at its conference rejecting the two-state solution and endorsing a one-state solution, including a motion defining Zionism as being “to the exclusion and/or domination of the non-Jewish population” in historic Palestine. The vote was decided by about 200 votes, less than one-thousandth of the membership. The move breaks with the international consensus: the UN General Assembly endorsed the New York Declaration supporting two states by 142 votes to 10, with the US and Israel voting against, and a 2002 UN Security Council resolution explicitly affirmed a two-state vision. The European Greens said the policy is incompatible with previously agreed positions; they condemn “the genocide against Palestinians” and call for sanctions against Israel’s government. Green party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, became embroiled in an antisemitism row around the fourth anniversary of the 7 October attacks while fighting a parliamentary by-election in London. On Monday, he ruled out “exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone” in the Greens because of religious or communal affiliation. Recent polls in Gaza and the West Bank indicate a majority support a two-state formula based on 1967 borders, while just 10% back a single democratic state with equal rights.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The Green party’s departure from the two-state consensus marks a notable shift within a section of European progressive politics on Israel-Palestine, even as the international community continues to anchor peace efforts in the two-state framework. The motion defining Zionism as exclusionary is contested by most of the Jewish community, which sees it solely as Jewish self-determination, and raises questions about whether members who identify as Zionist can remain in the party; lawyers warn such beliefs may qualify for protection under equality legislation. The rift with the European Greens and the timing around the 7 October anniversary and a London by-election give the decision immediate political and legal consequences beyond internal party governance.

Watch For

Monitor whether the Green party’s leadership and structures enforce Polanski’s statement in practice, including any disciplinary cases against members affiliated with Jewish institutions that identify as Zionist. Watch the outcome of Polanski’s London parliamentary by-election, any formal response or sanctions from the European Greens, and whether legal challenges are brought under UK equality legislation. Also follow whether the party reforms its decision-making processes for a mass membership base and whether future policy votes revisit the one-state versus two-state position.